How do you say "Call the police" in German?

"Call the police" in German is "Rufen Sie die Polizei". This phrase is commonly used in Germany.

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How to Say ‘Call the police’ in German

Q: What does "Rufen Sie die Polizei" mean in English?

"Rufen Sie die Polizei" means "Call the police" in English. Usage tip: [rufen ... an] is a split verb in German, but in commands like this you often see just [Rufen Sie ...]. Compare the full form [Rufen Sie die Polizei an] and [Ich rufe die Polizei an].

Rufen Sie die Polizei

ROO-fen zee dee poh-lee-TSYE

[ROO-fen zee dee poh-lee-TSYE]

💬 Usage Tip: [rufen ... an] is a split verb in German, but in commands like this you often see just [Rufen Sie ...]. Compare the full form [Rufen Sie die Polizei an] and [Ich rufe die Polizei an].

🇩🇪 In Germany: This is a direct emergency instruction, so being blunt is fine here. In a real emergency, most people would also call [112] themselves rather than wait to be asked.

Phrase Breakdown

Rufen

[ROO-fen]

call

Imperative/polite command form from 'rufen,' meaning to call someone.

Example

Rufen Sie die Polizei, bitte!

Call the police, please!

Sie

[zee]

you

Formal 'you' in German, used politely with strangers.

Example

Können Sie helfen?

Can you help?

die

[dee]

the

Feminine singular article here used with Polizei.

Example

Rufen Sie die Polizei sofort.

Call the police immediately.

Polizei

[poh-lee-TSYE]

police

The police force; used in emergencies or when reporting a problem.

Example

Die Polizei kommt gleich.

The police are coming shortly.

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